Young adults with severe psychiatric disabilities face many significant challenges that put them at risk for being able to transition into adult roles, some of which include: high unemployment rates, the low participation in postsecondary training and education programs, and a strong probability of remaining on public assistance after high school. These young adults also have impairments in the cognitive processing of forethought, planning, and risk assessment—yet most programs do not emphasize the necessary skills and experiences. The purpose of this study is to investigate participants' experiences with education and support to identify the factors that would facilitate their vocational development and recovery. This study used a mixed method research design that involved both quantitative and qualitative measures. The study involved thirty-three participants from the Jump Start program, a career development and mentoring program that matched young adults ages 16–26 with severe psychiatric disabilities with mentors who themselves have had a psychiatric disability. The central research instrument used was an open-ended semi-structured participant questionnaire. There were three quantitative measures that were used: a Demographic Inventory, the Recovery Attitudes Questionnaire (RAQ-7) and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL). In-depth interviews were conducted with seven mentors from the Jump Start program to evaluate the mentoring relationship from their perspective. The study found that many participants prefer specific and tangible learning activities that supported them in taking positive steps in their recovery. Results also showed that interaction with supports was a critical component of their vocational development and recovery. In particular supports involving place, professionals, family, staff and peers played significant roles for the participants. The research also demonstrated that the mentoring relationship made a difference in the lives of both the participants and the mentors. Based on the findings, the researcher recommends three topics for further study. These include: (1) a longitudinal study with a larger sample as an examination of participants' experiences with education and supports; (2) a study designed to identify the variables, which foster young adults readiness to change their behaviors; and (3) a study that looks at what specific factors affects participants' ability to change their behaviors.

School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS) is a plan based on broad assessments of schools and their climate that can be implemented to create classrooms and schools that are focused on community and positive behavior (Horner, Sugai, Todd, & Lewis-Palmer, 2005). SWPBS involves creating and explicitly stating expectations, teaching those expectations, encouraging appropriate behavior, and defining ways to handle inappropriate behavior. Current tools that are suggested for use in conducting an assessment of school climate are: the Best Behavior School Discipline Assessment (BBSDA) also known as the Best Behavior Self-Assessment Survey (BBSAS), the School-Wide Evaluation Tool (SET), the Oregon School Safety Survey, and the Effective Behavior Support Self-Assessment (EBS Self Assessment) (Horner, et al., 2005; Sprague & Walker, 2005). All of these indicators and evaluation tools are helpful in planning SWPBS programs as well as assessing the integrity of implementation and changes in behavior patterns; however, they gather limited information from students. Collecting and examining student attitudes and perceptions about their school and safety is an important aspect of the evaluation process. The current study examined information from student surveys concerning the behavioral expectations at school as well as places in the school they felt safe and unsafe. Information gathered from these surveys was used to create an intervention that targeted a specific area identified as being the least safe and most unsafe, the bathroom, in the school to improve students’ sense of safety. Based on the results of student survey information, an intervention was designed and implemented for six weeks. Compared to pre-intervention surveys, the treatment group reported feeling safer in the bathroom after the implementation of the intervention as compared to the control group, which reported no change.

Instructional time is a precious commodity within the school day. Research has shown (Gettinger & Ball, 2008; Hollywood, Salisbury, Rainforth & Palombaro, 1994) that students are only academically engaged for a fraction of time that is protected for instruction. In order to increase academic achievement, we must increase and protect instructional time. This study used a multiple baseline design across teachers to examine teacher behavior and student engagement. Teachers and students were systematically observed in the classroom. In the first phase, the data from these observations were provided graphically to teachers, thus serving as performance feedback. Performance feedback has been demonstrated as an effective means of increasing treatment integrity and facilitating teacher behavior change (Noell et al., 2005). During the second phase of the study, consultation meetings included a review of the data, collaborative brainstorming of strategies for increasing instructional time and goal setting. It was hypothesized that sharing performance feedback would lead to increased levels of observed instructional time. Results show inconsistent effects for increasing instructional time across participants.

The purpose of this study, a formative program evaluation, was to provide an overview of treatment integrity rates, attitudes, and assessment methods within a specialized school for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The study utilized a partnership model whereby the evaluators worked collaboratively with primary stakeholders (school administrators) to determine areas of focus for the evaluation. The program evaluation was conducted between August 2009 and August 2010, spanning one school year. The evaluation participants were the school’s teachers. The evaluation was based on an exploratory case study design and included both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data consisted of direct observations of treatment adherence to behavior plans in classrooms, teacher knowledge of treatment content assessed in quizzes, and observations of teacher engagement with students at recess. Qualitative data consisted of teacher surveys and focus groups. The evaluation yielded an in-depth assessment of treatment integrity within the school; an intervention to define and enhance teacher engagement during recess was also developed and implemented.

As item response theory (IRT) has developed and is widely applied, investigating the fit of a parametric model becomes an important part of the measurement process when implementing IRT. The usefulness and successes of IRT applications rely heavily on the extent to which the model reflects the data, so it is necessary to evaluate model-data fit by gathering sufficient evidence before any model application. There is a lack of promising solutions on the detection of model misfit in IRT. In addition, commonly used fit statistics are not satisfactory in that they often do not possess desirable statistical properties and lack a means of examining the magnitude of misfit (e.g., via graphical inspections). In this dissertation, a newly-proposed nonparametric approach, RISE was thoroughly and comprehensively studied. Specifically, the purposes of this study are to (a) examine the promising fit procedure, RISE, (b) compare the statistical properties of RISE with that of the commonly used goodness-of-fit procedures, and (c) investigate how RISE may be used to examine the consequences of model misfit. To reach the above-mentioned goals, both a simulation study and empirical study were conducted. In the simulation study, four factors including ability distribution, sample size, test length and model were varied as the factors which may influence the performance of a fit statistic. The results demonstrated that RISE outperformed G2 and S-X2 in that it controlled Type I error rates and provided adequate power under all conditions. In the empirical study, the three fit statistics were applied to one empirical data and the misfitting items were flagged. RISE and S-X 2 detected reasonable numbers of misfitting items while G 2 detected almost all items when sample size is large. To further demonstrate an advantage of RISE, the residual plot on each misfitting item was shown. Compared to G2 and S-X2, RISE gave a much clearer picture of the location and magnitude of misfit for each misfitting item. Other than statistical properties and graphical displays, the score distribution and test characteristic curve (TCC) were investigated as model misfit consequence. The results indicated that for the given data, there was no practical consequence on classification before and after replacement of misfitting items detected by three fit statistics.

This study was designed to advance a body of knowledge concerned with the impact of psychiatric hospitalization on adolescents. According to the literature, little systematic research has been conducted and the research that has been completed has been narrow in scope and fraught with methodological weaknesses. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of hospitalization on adolescents using comparison groups, large sample sizes, multivariate statistical procedures, and multiple methods of assessment. The sample population consisted of 544 adolescents who comprised four comparison groups of "normals," adjudicated delinquents, psychiatric patients, and a follow-up group of discharged psychiatric patients. Assessment instruments included the author-developed Inventory of Adolescent Well-Being, the General Well-Being Schedule, and the Current Adjustment Rating Scale. Further, data regarding differences by sex, number of signs of family disturbance, and the effects of outpatient psychotherapy services following discharge were interpreted. Discriminant Analyses indicated that the Inventory of Adolescent Well-Being correctly classified 71% of the adolescents into the four groups. The General Well-Being Schedule classified with 49% accuracy and the Current Adjustment Rating Scale with 46% accuracy. Additional analyses revealed the following findings: A follow-up group of former psychiatric patients, living home, most closely resembled the "normals" with 86.8% of those adolescents reporting improvement in their general well-being. Uniform sex differences were found among the four groups with boys consistently reporting higher levels of well-being than girls. No statistical difference was found between former patients residing home who received outpatient services and those not receiving services. Finally, no significant differences were found with regard to the number of signs of family disruption when former patients residing home and former patients discharged to other placements were compared. A discussion is included which articulates the implications found between the "normals" and hospitalized adolescents; between the hospitalized sample and adjudicated delinquents; and pertaining to the improvement level noted in the former patients. The development of the Inventory of Adolescent Well-Being meets a need for follow-up measures developed specifically for adolescents. These results and their implications are further discussed.

A study of 174 applicants to the University of Rhode Island's Graduate School was conducted to identify factors in student choice of graduate schools and to determine if enrollment intent could be predicted. A 20-item survey based on the motivational and cognitive decision making theory of Janis and Mann (1977) was constructed. Applicants were surveyed on two scales regarding: (a) the importance of factors represented in the 20-item survey; and (b) which graduate school better matched those factors. Respondents to the survey were sorted into four groups: (a) accepted; (b) denied; (c) accepted, intending to enroll at URI; and (d) accepted, not intending to enroll at URI. These respondents chose nine of the 20 items as important factors in deciding which graduate school to attend. From these ratings three strong, psychologically interpretable factors matched the Janis and Mann constructs used to develop the survey: (a) Self Approval; (b) Utilitarian Costs; and (c) Concern for Others. A one way analysis discriminated between the "Will Enroll" and the "Will Not Enroll" respondents as the "Will Enroll" group assigned higher ratings of importance to three factors at the.05 level of significance: (a) affordability; (b) closeness to home; and (c) being able to better support family upon graduation. Of eight factors identified by chi-square statistics, only one, "better academic program", differed between the two groups in terms of school choice. Through discriminant analysis, responses to the 20 item survey were classified into "Will Enroll" and "Will Not Enroll" with 78 percent accuracy. (Discriminant analysis results may be inflated, on account of a single sample of respondents. The research results have (a) identified factors salient to a group of graduate school applicants in their decision to attend one graduate school as opposed to another; (b) measured the degree of importance these factors had in that decision; (c) identified significant differences between the "Will Enroll" and "Will Not Enroll" groups; and (d) predicted group membership. In addition, a base for determining the applicability of Janis and Mann's decision making constructs appears to have been established. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

Attitudinal Healing, a psycho-spiritual application of the text, A Course in Miracles, is being used throughout the world to assist people who have life threatening or chronic illnesses, as well as people who are in need of emotional or spiritual support. Attitudinal Healing may be viewed as a meta-theory that is inclusive of other psychological and spiritual thought systems. It empowers individuals to explore universal psychological and spiritual themes in nondogmatic ways. The intent of this research was to gain an understanding of how a six month study of Attitudinal Healing would affect the personal and professional lives of a group of mental health workers. A phenomenological perspective was used. In-depth unstructured interviews were conducted over the course of the study. Findings were related to each of the Twelve Principles of Attitudinal Healing. Shifts in consciousness, belief systems, and individual behaviors occurred as a result of the six month study group. These personal shifts, in turn, affected the professional lives of the mental health workers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the comparative analysis of dynamic assessment procedures when two types of tests are used. Specifically, the aim of this study was to find out whether instructions on basic cognitive skills would improve the students' performance on specific standardized tests. The tests that were used were: a verbal educational test (Standardized Test of Essential Writing Skills), and a non-verbal intelligence test (Raven Progressive Matrices). Fifty two subjects were randomly selected from the 7th grade population of a middle school in Western Massachusetts. This sample represented slightly more than 35% of the 7th grade population of this school (N = 148). Two out of five seventh grade classes were selected by the principal and the researcher. One was a low academic performance class and the other was a high academic performance class. Prior academic performance and achievement scores were collected from the school records. Participation in this study was voluntary. The administration of the pretest instruments (Raven progressive Matrices and Standardized Test of Essential Writing Skills) was done in group sessions. Students were divided into two treatment groups and each group was exposed to two sessions of graduated prompting instructions, each session lasting 30-40 minutes. The same pretest assessment instruments were then administered during the post test. Individual student data was held confidential and combined into a group statistical process. According to the research findings it appears that dynamic assessment did improve the subjects' performance on the verbal, educational test (Standardized Test of Essential Writing Skills), but not on the non-verbal, intelligence test (Raven Progressive Matrices). The type of instructions received did not seem to have a significant effect on the subjects' post test performance on both the Standardized Test of Essential Writing Skills and Raven Progressive Matrices. However, a comparison of the highest and lowest academic groups, (as defined by the teachers) showed that the lowest group improved their scores on all test measures as compared to the highest academic group.

Bibliography: pages 104-113. / An investigation into the actual and preferred sources of sexual information among male and female adolescents in standards 9 and 10 at a private school was undertaken. A review and theoretical consideration of the sources of sexual information among pre-adolescents, adolescents and tertiary students in the Western world during the past seven decades is provided. The sample of 260 pupils completed a four-part questionnaire, which is based on questionnaires used by Davis and Harris (1982), Gebhard (1977), Kallen, Stephenson and Doughty (1983), Spanier (1977) and Thornburg (1970, 1972, 1975, 1981a, 1981b, 1985). Results are quantitative in nature, and are treated predominantly descriptively. Comparisons of the findings are made with regard to previous research of a similar nature. The investigation found that, as a source of information, books/magazines/ pamphlets is the most important one. The other relatively important sources, in order of importance, are mothers, same-sex peers, television/ movies and school programmes. The major source for the 126 males is books/magazines/pamphlets, and their other relatively important sources are same-sex peers, television/movies, mothers and school programmes. For the 134 females, mothers are the most important source, while books/ magazines/pamphlets, same-sex peers, school programmes and television/ movies are also regarded as relatively important by them. Furthermore, it was found that information pertaining to most behaviour-related sexual topics is acquired primarily by these pupils from same-sex peers, information regarding non-behaviour-related topics is acquired primarily from mothers, and books/magazines/pamphlets is the major source for so-called "controversial" sexual topics. The investigation also revealed that mothers are the most preferred source of information for the participants, with books/magazines/pamphlets, school programmes, fathers and same-sex peers being the other sources preferred to a relatively important degree by them. When the sources of males and females are viewed separately, mothers are found to be the most preferred source for both sexes. Furthermore, for 9 of the 12 sexual topics investigated, mothers are found to be the most preferred source, and same-sex peers are found to be the most preferred source for the other three topics. These findings are discussed and compared, implications and limitations of the study are considered, and suggestions for further research, as well as some conclusions, are made.